Reflections from the CFG Reunion 2007
1. I asked basic data questions like
a) When were you trained?
b) What is your current position? and
c) Do you coach a CFG?

2. What did you learn today?
“Great ideas shared in all sessions. Enjoyed guest speaker should like to get to hear him more. Application for more CFG to be trained.
Open Space was a neat idea similar to Blogs [?] . Hard to be a Bumble Bee. Looking forward to doing the jigsaw with fellow staff members.
Learned my boss, principal has not been completely trained in A+ (New Principal) needs to be trained & how to do TEAM Building.”
“Learned that everyone can contribute to the whole, everyone has a voice, you just need to use it.”
“Make a difference—through CFG.”
“[I learned] how important collaboration is”
“I experienced a new protocol (Open Space Technology); No mindblowing new learning but I am rejuvenated. My saw has been sharpened.”
“•about WOW newsletter; a really good suggestion to take to my principal.
•rekindles the passion; refocus my thinking.
•liked talking to Steven @ lunch.”
“Great protocols=> really like microlab & Open Space.
I would find it more useful to have a reunion earlier on for commitments to be more effective.
Inspired and added information on topics that interest me.”
“I learned that you just have to be happy with the ‘right’ people in the room.”
“Creative ways to implement a literacy CFG, and that CFG tenets are already deeply imbedded in the culture of our school.”
“Good refresher course for what was presented in the Fall Seminar.”
“Never too late to start! Grant opportunity=> Donna gave me a great idea and helped [my colleague] and I to go ahead and pursue it.”
“How to facilitate the microlab protocol. The Open Space Technology was new to me. Reflected on my landscape. Good activity!”
“Cultural Shifts Jigsaw Protocol. I especially enjoyed the session on cultural shifts. Our table reflected that CFG is a lifestyle. Until it becomes reality, it must be the goal of CFG’s to promote this paradigm shift to staff, administrators, etc.
The Ice Breaker/Energizer These were really great in aiding me to better understand people on a deeper level. It really helped me relinquish any false impressions and discover commonalities.
Using CFG in a PLC Landscape make me see the big picture.”
“I learned that actually running a CFG is feasible. The grant would be extremely helpful if awarded.”
“Learned—protocol for parent meetings.”
“My desire to provide CFG coaches for my pre-K and Kinder grade levels has been reinforced”
“The importance of understanding cultural shifts. How these shifts impact student achievement.”
“I learned to keep going, keeping pushing for change. As hard and difficult as change is, it’s worth ‘working on the work’”

3. So What?
“Makes putting PLC and CFG’s in place”
“Will get with CFG coaches from school to start a group, even if it is just for a few months. Any input can help.”
“CFG –does not exist anymore—change of people and events”
“More energized to create a new CFG”
“[A colleague] has opened the door and I will support her in her endeavor to assist central office/district in ‘creating the experience.’”
“This is important, I want to keep doing it.
• work on maybe doing the grant about community.”
“Made commitments as a response”
“We need to build the capacity of those in the room”
“Transition to a literacy CFG should be more seamless than I thought.”
“I already have a meeting scheduled for next week with my principal to implement a CFG on our campus. He is receptive.”
“Microlabs—a good protocol to focus small group discussions on specific content. Time & guiding questions can be manipulated to adapt to different groups. The Energizer is an excellent activity for advisory.”
“I think CFG is a critical component in improving our educational system.”
“My conversations and learning today have further helped me to focus on the need to ensure that teacher leaders are trained as coaches this summer so—
CFG coaches will be in place to lead CFG’s on grade levels and the need for me to assist w/ facilitating these groups.”
“It matters because the ultimate goal is student success. There must be a change in collaboration/instruction, what worked 10 years ago does no work with our student population of today.”

4. Now What?
“Find out who might be willing to attend CFG’s from school to start a CFG at school.”
“Meet, collaborate, and empower!”
“Bring it [CFG] back”
“I am ready for a CFG again and I think the grant is a great tool to beginning planning.”
“work on community ideas
work on newsletter.”
“Keep in touch with individuals who can help”
“Gather up trained peers and begin a CFG on campus.”
“Take the protocols to our leadership team, dept, teams, community
Find out who is a CFG member/Coach
Initiate CFG on our campus
Push for leadership team to be CFG trained”
“Commitment! Does this mean another grant!”
“Start a CFG after TAKS”
“We will present our implementation schedule for using CFG’s with PLC’s”
“Prep a CFG for next year—send out a fishing email for interested nibbles.”
“Today was great. It is always good to meet, reflect, and learn. I will apply for this grant and move forward and be a true reflective practitioner in the land of CFG!”
“Plan to meet after school with a team of teachers/clusters and share discussions using some protocols. Plan to do a book study in near future. Let teachers select study books they want to do.”
“I am going to develop a CFG strand for [my district’s] new 7 period workday for our Asst Superintendent. Thank you Tim for the ideas on how to evaluate the program!”
“I’m going to use what I learned today as a catalyst to help get CFG back up and running again.”
“Work at my new campus to implement more protocols to develop my PLC”
“I will pursue a better understanding and commitment to the CFG work in order to provide better support to our schools, our teachers, and students.”
“I am going to keep pushing CFG work whenever possible.”